Light orange pour, one finger frothy white head, low retention.Smells of sweet malts, banana, faint clove, Belgian yeasts, some honey and a bit of warm booze.Taste is rather sweet, but fruity, with crisp orange juice, ripe red apples, faint cherries and white grapes, mixed with grains and faint hay. Sweetness isn't really cloying, but maybe the spiciness helps too, with pepper, clove, faint maple and some funky herbs (faint sage, floral tea). Finish has a bit of a hop presence, with a mild bitterness and very faint metal.Medium body, a bit syrupy, medium carbonation. Aftertaste is a mix of lingering sugared grains, a bit of mint on the palate and spices. Warm alcohol, not boozy.Decent enough for a canned "abbey" beer. Mine doesn't seem to have sugar (or glucose syrup, etc) stated as an ingredient, so another thumb up. Still it is what it is.

This brew pours a light orange-yellow, with medium opacity. There is the faintest one finger suggestion of a head, but it disappears quickly. What remains is a bubbly film of whiteness covering the top of the liquid. While not entirely translucent, there is no sediment present, and the carbonation looks to be medium. The aroma is heavy with malts, and a bit of wheat and other grainy adjuncts. There is a faint suggestion of orange rind and sticky sweetness, with some booze tickling deep to the nose. As we sip, bitter grains crash up front. The middle opens up a bit with more malts and barley, and an inkling of even further bittering rind from the nose comes through. The finish brings in a slice of metallic flavoring and an echo of fruity sweetness. Esters are slightly palpable here, but not heavily contributory to the taste in a larger sense. The aftertaste breathes bitterly, with washes of grain and a pale sugary sweetness. Both the body and the carbonation are medium. The physical feel to the mouth is a bit chewy and rough, and the mouth is left satiated, and then dried. The abv is within range, and the beer has an average drinkability, due to the bitterness.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the simplicity of flavor. While the beer wasn't inherently "strong", the flavors it presented were easily delivered to the palate. In the end, the beer was fairly simple, and didn't really do too much to make itself stand out.

T-Attack is a bit like spicy ginger ale, w/spicy malty palate, and faint hops in the finish that offer a little bitterness, but little of their own character. Aftertaste is a little sweet, with hints of spice and minerals and tea.

M-Light-to-medium body that is boosted not only by the carbonation, but also by what seems to be quality mineral water. The finish is refreshing as a result, and the mouth feels strangely clean.

D-Nothing special, but this brew has some admirable traits, drinks well, and is very affordable.

A beer my wife brought back to Germany for me while she was on a day trip to France. The 50cl can simply states "Bière d'Abbaye" and with some further reading of the fine print on the side, I was able to determine the beer is brewed under "Premontres de Tongerlo (Belgium) abbey license" for the Brasserie de Saint-Omer in France.

I would categorize this as an amber version of the style as it poured a fairly clear light copper with a very thin off-white head that dissipated rather quickly and left no lacing on the glass.

Aroma of sweet malt with an interesting yeast character I would describe as musty, although it also hinted of cloves and even some fruitiness (banana and bubblegum). No real hop presence in the smell.

Flavor is similar to aroma with a caramel sweetness; malt-focused with only the slightest bit of hop spiciness along with the distinctive yeast character that seems to provide some spiciness as well.

Medium mouthfeel - fairly smooth, no hot alcohol and a semi-dry finish, likely attributable to the addition of sugars.

Overall, a fairly enjoyable, malt-focused beer. I don't have a lot of experience with this style, but I would think it represents the vast range that you would find in the category fairly well. The aroma may be slightly off for the style, but the flavor and mouthfeel seem to be on par with what one would expect when picking up a Bière de Garde. I would think this is an acquired taste due to the yeast profile, but I thought it was pretty good.